Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases seven videos that showcase some of the diversity of traditional Ethiopian music and dances. Some of these videos may be contemporary Ethiopian music that reflects traditional Ethiopian sources.
The Addendum to this post provides excerpts from two websites about Ethiopian culture and about the Ethiopian Eskista dance that is featured in many of these videos.
Any information about these videos would be appreciated.
The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic reasons.
All copyright remains with their owners.
Thanks to the composers of these songs and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the producers of these videos and their publishers on YouTube and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting date on YouTube with the oldest dated examples given first.
Example #1: African Music & Dance from Hamer, Ethiopia - Muda Sheda & Saron Tefery
Ethiopian TV, Uploaded on Feb 23, 2010
http://www.ethiopian.tv - African Music and Dance from Hamer, Ethiopia - Muda Sheda & Saron Tefery.
Featuring Tigest Tamene - MESONEGAYA
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Example #2: Ethiopian Music : Balageru 4 - Gurage Song & Dance
Ethiopian TV, Uploaded on Feb 25, 2010
http://www.ethiopian.tv Abraham Wolde's Balageru 4 - Gurage Song
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Example #3: Ethiopian Music Dance - Wolayta
Ethiopian TV, Uploaded on Mar 9, 2010
http://www.ethiopian.tv - The Music and Dance of Wolayta, Ethiopia
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Example #4: New ethiopian traditional amharic music 2013 GOJAM by KEBERET BELAY
Theodrose Bekele, Published on Aug 12, 2013
Ethiopian traditional amharic music by KEBERET BELAY GOJAM
****
Example #5: Traditional Ethiopian Music - Hariibuu naanjedehikaa
Halenga, Published on Nov 12, 2013
Traditional Oromo Music Video
****
Example #6: Dagne Walle - Wub Abeba [BEST Ethiopian Traditional Music 2014]
danial630, Published on Feb 10, 2014
****
Example #7: Best Ethiopian Traditional Music 2014 Solomon Demle - Mech Ayeshiwuna
hoplessable, Published on Feb 11, 2014
-snip-
Here are some comments from this video's viewer comment thread that indicates which part of Ethiopia this music is from:
Fasil Tekeba, Ze Ethiopia. 2014
"Oh my god . . . Wat a nice song ! I LOVE gojjam and its people, they are very kind and hospitable. . And this music is awsome !! Its powerful and nice voice. . .
**
Aby Lala, 2014
"I am always amazed when i look @ gojjam esksta. I love them."
****
ADDENDUM
Excerpt from http://esatexas.homestead.com/culture.html
"The Music
Ethiopian music is awesome. The different beats give way to different forms of dancing from different areas of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Orthodox church service is also follows a form of music that came from St. Yared. Traditional instruments include "kebero" (drum), "kirar" (upright guitar), "washint" (flute), "masinko" (upright violin), and "begena" (harp)
The Dancing
"Chewata" is the Ethiopian term for dance and it is used for many types of dancing. "Eskista" is the most commonly seen form. Other types include "Ye Gurage Cheweta", "Ye Tigrigna Chewata", "Ye Tembein Chewata", "Ye Wolayta Chewata", "Ye Oromo Chewata", "Ye Sodere Chewata" and other variations on "eskista" for the Gojam and Wolo area."
****
Excerpt from http://development.thinkaboutit.eu/think3/post/ethiopian_traditional_dance_eskesta/ Ethiopian traditional dance: Eskesta
Martina Petkova,Published 29th July 2010
..."the Ethiopian name “Eskesta” means actually “Dancing shoulders”; it is often practiced in the Northern parts of Ethiopia (Amhara group) where the indigenous tribes of Amhara, Wollo, Gondar etc. are still performing the dance of Eskesta. The motives and characteristics of the dance are often interchanged during the dance by the performers of the variety of war songs, hunting songs, Shepherd songs, love songs and work songs. The best dancer is appointed to the leader of the group and respectively the best singer...
Theme, symbols & rituals – the theme of this type of the dance can be described as follows – expressing certain emotions and impressions from the life through – typical body movement dating back to an Ethiopian tribe (Amhara region), performing these mainly with their heads and shoulders. These significant movements are having a great impact on the Ethiopian indigenous society as a whole. Some of the ideas and themes in this dance are actually inspired from the relations between the genders, work life and religion.
It also is said that this dance was invented because of the snakes. Ethiopian people were often observing the “dance”/movements of the snake, shaking in the same way their neck. On the other hand, in the sphere of indigenous Ethiopian music the influence of the rattlesnake while shaking its tail (the sound it produces) has created a certain way of singing as well.
Furthermore, other symbols and rituals that can be described are these connected with the costumes which each dancer wears. They are often made of woven cotton called “gabbi” or “netella” and painted with different colors depending on the gender of the dancer.
Technique – dance performed both from men and women with their head, neck, chest and shoulders, shaking in specific ways; the music played during the dance is often produced with the traditional Ethiopian instruments like krar, flute, drums and mesenko. The dancers sometimes sing or in some places of the dance utilize the silence in order to stress out some prevailing moments of the dance. There are however some variations depending on the areas in which this dance is performed – Wollo, Gondar or Gojjam."...
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label Harlem Shake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harlem Shake. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Friday, February 22, 2013
West African Roots Of The Harlem Shake Shoulder Movements
Edited by Azizi Powell
Since the Harlem Shake video craze erupted on the internet in February 2013, there has been renewed interest in the origins of the Harlem Shake dance. The "real" Harlem Shake dance emphasizes rhythmic shoulder movements. This rhythmical dance is in stark contrast to the just-for-fun mish mash motions that mostly costumed people do in the recent Harlem Shake videos.
The Ethiopian Eskista dance is often cited as the source for the "original" Harlem Shake of 1981, which was then popularized in 2001 by its inclusion in a number of Hip-Hop videos. However, in my post on the Harlem Shake The Harlem Shake (Origins, Old School Examples, & Internet Meme) http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-origins-several-examples-of-harlem.html, I suggested that it's much more likely that someone who knew about the Eskista dance and saw the albee/Harlem Shake dance, recognized the similarities between those two dances.
This post showcases seven videos of songs from Benin, West Africa. While the music is worthy to be listened to on their own merits, and the entire videos are quite interesting to watch, in this post I would particularly like to direct viewers' attention to the shoulder movements that are performed by the dancers. I'm not a dance historian, nor am I a dancer, but it strikes me that these shoulder movements* are quite similar to the Harlem Shake's shoulder movements.
*Are these shoulder movements called isolations or popping?
This is not to say that these Beninese dance movements are the direct or even the indirect source of the Harlem Shake. This also is not to say that these Beninese dances are the only examples of dancing that includes shoulder movements in Benin, West Africa or in traditional dancing from any other African nation.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Example #1 alekpehanhou agbon hou agbon
polorishas1, Uploaded on Feb 28, 2009
****
Example #2: Abomey Hogbonou
vignon2000, Uploaded on Jan 6, 2008
A Benin: bomey Hogbonou
-snip-
Here are three comments from that video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1T3UQ61uJc
fanhopem 2008
"I like this song because it talks about reconcialition between ethnics in Benin."
**
Rasprogress, 2009
"Come to think of it, Haitian Kreyol sounds so much like Fon. I've been enjoying this clip so much. Me do Apke mon confrere."
-snip-
"Fon" is an ethnic group and a language. Click http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/fon.htm for information about Fon.
**
Outreachat, 2010
"This is exactly like the bolojo music of the Egba-Egbado, the Egun's neighbours in Nigeria. There are elements of the old sakara tradition of Yusuf Olatunji in it as well. Those of us in Nigeria must continue to hope that the renewed attention that Tope Alabi is giving bolojo in her gospel music will elevate the quality of modern interest in the form. Bolojo (at least that's how I know what I've just heard) is a very fine, intricate form of call-and-response music."
-snip-
Unrelated to the dance movements in this video, I just want to say that I love those women's hair styles which contemporary African Americans call "Nubian knots".
****
Example #3: Didolanvi Félix
polorishas1, Uploaded on Feb 21, 2009
****
Example #4: Anice pépé Nayé
BENIN CHANNEL Uploaded on Aug 30, 2009
Benin Musique
****
Example #5: Agbadja, Gbessi Zolawadji (Benin)
Chapeauson, Uploaded on Jan 25, 2010
Tous mes Respects à Gbessi Zolawadji et ses talentieux chorégraphes.Notre tradition fait notre force!!!
-snip-
This video also showcases body patting the source of African American patting juba (commonly known as hambone). Some forms of pattin juba can still be found in historically Black Greek lettered fraternity and sorority steppin’ routines.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/hambone-african-roots-contemporary.html for a post about the Hambone - African Roots & Contemporary Examples
****
Example #6: Benin- Ange Ahouangonou - Kpagbe se
yel Yel, Uploaded on Apr 24, 2008
kaka music from benin
-snip-
“Kaka” is a type of rhythm.
****
Example #7: BENIN SAGBOHAN Miétonouwè
Frere Kandevie, Uploaded on May 29, 2008
Extract from Roots (West Africa)
-snip-
This vocalist's/musician's name is Sagbohan Danialou ("Danialou" is his personal name & "Sagbohan" is his surname).
ADDENDUM
Here's a quote from http://www.african-music-safari.com/agbadza.html about the Agbadja rhythm & dance that I believe is performed in video example #5, and perhaps also in other videos on this post:
"The Famous Ewe Rhythm And Dance.
It's probably Agbadza, if there's only one traditional rhythm you remember upon return from Ghana or Togo. To tourists without any knowledge of Ewe drumming, this fun piece is simply known as "the chicken dance". You'll know why when you see it!..."
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewe_people
"The Ewe (Eʋeawó "Ewe people", Eʋedukɔ́ "Ewe nation"[1]) are a people located in southern Togo, southern Benin, and south-eastern parts of the Volta Region of Ghana."
-snip-
With regard to the Agbadza dance being called the "chicken dance", it should be noted that the 2006 African American dance "Chicken Noodle Soup" is based on the earlier Harlem Shake.
RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/langston-hughes-note-on-commercial.html for a post about the Langston Hughes poem "Note On A Commerial Theatre" (also known as "You've Taken My Blues And Gone". That post also includes my critique of the Harlem Shake video craze.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the featured artists for their musical legacy. My thanks to all the vocalists, musicians, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the commentaters who are quoted in this post and to the uploaders of these featured videos.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Since the Harlem Shake video craze erupted on the internet in February 2013, there has been renewed interest in the origins of the Harlem Shake dance. The "real" Harlem Shake dance emphasizes rhythmic shoulder movements. This rhythmical dance is in stark contrast to the just-for-fun mish mash motions that mostly costumed people do in the recent Harlem Shake videos.
The Ethiopian Eskista dance is often cited as the source for the "original" Harlem Shake of 1981, which was then popularized in 2001 by its inclusion in a number of Hip-Hop videos. However, in my post on the Harlem Shake The Harlem Shake (Origins, Old School Examples, & Internet Meme) http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-origins-several-examples-of-harlem.html, I suggested that it's much more likely that someone who knew about the Eskista dance and saw the albee/Harlem Shake dance, recognized the similarities between those two dances.
This post showcases seven videos of songs from Benin, West Africa. While the music is worthy to be listened to on their own merits, and the entire videos are quite interesting to watch, in this post I would particularly like to direct viewers' attention to the shoulder movements that are performed by the dancers. I'm not a dance historian, nor am I a dancer, but it strikes me that these shoulder movements* are quite similar to the Harlem Shake's shoulder movements.
*Are these shoulder movements called isolations or popping?
This is not to say that these Beninese dance movements are the direct or even the indirect source of the Harlem Shake. This also is not to say that these Beninese dances are the only examples of dancing that includes shoulder movements in Benin, West Africa or in traditional dancing from any other African nation.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Example #1 alekpehanhou agbon hou agbon
polorishas1, Uploaded on Feb 28, 2009
****
Example #2: Abomey Hogbonou
vignon2000, Uploaded on Jan 6, 2008
A Benin: bomey Hogbonou
-snip-
Here are three comments from that video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1T3UQ61uJc
fanhopem 2008
"I like this song because it talks about reconcialition between ethnics in Benin."
**
Rasprogress, 2009
"Come to think of it, Haitian Kreyol sounds so much like Fon. I've been enjoying this clip so much. Me do Apke mon confrere."
-snip-
"Fon" is an ethnic group and a language. Click http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/fon.htm for information about Fon.
**
Outreachat, 2010
"This is exactly like the bolojo music of the Egba-Egbado, the Egun's neighbours in Nigeria. There are elements of the old sakara tradition of Yusuf Olatunji in it as well. Those of us in Nigeria must continue to hope that the renewed attention that Tope Alabi is giving bolojo in her gospel music will elevate the quality of modern interest in the form. Bolojo (at least that's how I know what I've just heard) is a very fine, intricate form of call-and-response music."
-snip-
Unrelated to the dance movements in this video, I just want to say that I love those women's hair styles which contemporary African Americans call "Nubian knots".
****
Example #3: Didolanvi Félix
polorishas1, Uploaded on Feb 21, 2009
****
Example #4: Anice pépé Nayé
BENIN CHANNEL Uploaded on Aug 30, 2009
Benin Musique
****
Example #5: Agbadja, Gbessi Zolawadji (Benin)
Chapeauson, Uploaded on Jan 25, 2010
Tous mes Respects à Gbessi Zolawadji et ses talentieux chorégraphes.Notre tradition fait notre force!!!
-snip-
This video also showcases body patting the source of African American patting juba (commonly known as hambone). Some forms of pattin juba can still be found in historically Black Greek lettered fraternity and sorority steppin’ routines.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/hambone-african-roots-contemporary.html for a post about the Hambone - African Roots & Contemporary Examples
****
Example #6: Benin- Ange Ahouangonou - Kpagbe se
yel Yel, Uploaded on Apr 24, 2008
kaka music from benin
-snip-
“Kaka” is a type of rhythm.
****
Example #7: BENIN SAGBOHAN Miétonouwè
Frere Kandevie, Uploaded on May 29, 2008
Extract from Roots (West Africa)
-snip-
This vocalist's/musician's name is Sagbohan Danialou ("Danialou" is his personal name & "Sagbohan" is his surname).
ADDENDUM
Here's a quote from http://www.african-music-safari.com/agbadza.html about the Agbadja rhythm & dance that I believe is performed in video example #5, and perhaps also in other videos on this post:
"The Famous Ewe Rhythm And Dance.
It's probably Agbadza, if there's only one traditional rhythm you remember upon return from Ghana or Togo. To tourists without any knowledge of Ewe drumming, this fun piece is simply known as "the chicken dance". You'll know why when you see it!..."
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewe_people
"The Ewe (Eʋeawó "Ewe people", Eʋedukɔ́ "Ewe nation"[1]) are a people located in southern Togo, southern Benin, and south-eastern parts of the Volta Region of Ghana."
-snip-
With regard to the Agbadza dance being called the "chicken dance", it should be noted that the 2006 African American dance "Chicken Noodle Soup" is based on the earlier Harlem Shake.
RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/langston-hughes-note-on-commercial.html for a post about the Langston Hughes poem "Note On A Commerial Theatre" (also known as "You've Taken My Blues And Gone". That post also includes my critique of the Harlem Shake video craze.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the featured artists for their musical legacy. My thanks to all the vocalists, musicians, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the commentaters who are quoted in this post and to the uploaders of these featured videos.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Langston Hughes - "Note on Commercial Theatre" (You've Taken My Blues And Gone)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents a sound file of & words to Langston Hughes poem "Notes On Commercial Theatre". This post also includes an excerpt of a Wikipedia analysis of that poem, and my analysis of that poem which includes comments about the 2013 internet video craze "The Harlem Shake".
The content of this post is presented for historical, sociological, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
FEATURED SOUND FILE: LANGSTON HUGHES POETRY RECITAL c.1945 Part 4 of 4
cdbpdx,Uploaded on Jul 19, 2009
In 1945, ASCH records recorded a 78 rpm 4 record album set with Langston Hughes reciting his own poems. This is part 4 of 4 parts from that album, each part being both sides of one of the records in the album.
This record contains:
LITTLE SONGS
SILENCE
BURDEN
THE BREATH OF A ROSE
PRAYER
BORDER LINE
IN TIME OF SILVER RAIN
STILL HERE
BALLAD OF THE LANDLORD
BIG BUDDY
NOTE ON COMMERCIAL THEATER (good!)
This is an historic compilation. Enjoy!
-snip-
"Note On Commercial Theatre" is the last recitation on this sound file and begins at 5:06.
****
WORDS TO NOTES ON COMMERCIAL THEATRE
(Langston Hughes)
You've taken my blues and gone--
You sing 'em on Broadway
And you sing 'em in Hollywood Bowl,
And you mixed 'em up with symphonies
And you fixed 'em
So they don't sound like me.
Yep, you done taken my blues and gone.
You also took my spirituals and gone.
You put me in MacBeth and Carmen Jones
And all kinds of Swing Mikados
And in everything but what's about me--
But someday somebody'll
Stand up and talk about me,
And write about me--
Black and beautiful--
And sing about me,
And put on plays about me!
I reckon it'll be
Me myself!
Yes, it'll be me.
From http://www.skidmore.edu/~mstokes/227/hughes-poems.html
ANALYSIS OF LANGSTON HUGHES' "NOTES ON COMMERCIAL THEATRE"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Note_on_Commercial_Theatre
"Langston Hughes was a prominent writer during the Harlem Renaissance, which is obvious in most of his poetry. Hughes writes about the issues of the day, and “Note on Commercial Theatre” is no different.
Roots vs. novelty
During the Harlem Renaissance, one of the main controversies was that African American culture became the “vogue” of the day. This included interest not only in black writing and art, but in the rising jazz and theatre scenes as well. Harlem became the hot spot for this new black culture; both black and whites explored and became immersed in it. Because it was so popular, many white people attempted to infuse their own art with the new African American styles, resulting in hybrid music and theatre (for example, a swing version of The Mikado, a comic opera).
Hughes was a huge proponent of creating a separate black identity and art, hence the extreme antipathy within “Note on Commercial Theatre” to black culture being absorbed by whites. This is reflected in his use of an experimental form for his poem; there is a lack of rhyme scheme and no discernible rhythm to the lines. Other black writers of the time, such as Countee Cullen, experimented within specific forms, but Hughes rejects form in this poem; he rejects the absorption into any other style but his own."...
****
EDITORIAL COMMENT, INCLUDING COMMENTS ABOUT THE HARLEM SHAKE MEME
I wonder if Langston Hughes's poem "Notes On Commercial Theatre" wasn't just concerned about "white attempts to infuse their own art with the new African American styles" or concerned about "black culture being absorbed by white". I wonder if Langston Hughes was also reflecting on how mainstream White society often failed to acknowlege Black people while loving Black cultural products.
Furthermore, I wonder if the impetus for Langston Hughes' "Note On Commercial Theatre" was also driven by the common practice then of White people reaping the economic benefit of Black creative products through the production & promotion of often watered down versions of that product - for instance, White singers recording "covers" of Blues songs composed by Black people.
It seems to me that in this so-called post-racial America more than 60 years after Langston Hughes wrote "Note On Commercial Theatre", there's still considerable reason for Black people to be concerned that we aren't given the credit for our artistic accomplishments. Not only is "White" still the default race, but also terms such as "traditional American" and "vernacular American" are used to categorize a number of Black art forms, including old time music/songs, and Swing dances.
To a considerable degree, that history & these present day realities may explain why some Black commentators & some non-Black commentators have expressed concerns about the recent Harlem Shake internet craze. Each of those numerous videos that have been uploaded to YouTube show groups of people, sometimes in diverse "Halloween" type costumes, wildly dancing in various ways to a song called "The Harlem Shake" that was released last year by a producer known as Baauer. Although each of these videos are entitled "The Harlem Shake", the dances performed by the people in those videos are have no resemblance to the Harlem Shake of the 1980s, and its popularized version in 2001. I think that the point of those new Harlem Shake videos is to show groups of people in specific settings letting down their hair, and being crazy for a change. And I find some of those videos funny. But I can also understand why Tamara Palmer, a commentator for The Root.com wrote that "a silly viral video craze [has] completely overshadowed the origins of a beloved old-school dance". I can also agree with Tamara Palmer's position that in those videos the Harlem Shake "has been all but stripped of its cultural context and meaning." http://www.theroot.com/views/harlem-shakedown?wpisrc=root_more_news.
And yet, in his poem "Notes On Commercial Theatre", Langston Hughes indicated that it was Black people's responsibility to share our stories. As such, the Harlem Shake internet video craze provides opportunities to talk about the history of White exploitation of Black people's cultural products, even though that may not be what is going on in those videos. The Harlem Shake internet video craze also provides opportunities to share information about Black dances -including the old Harlem Shake, and the Ethiopian Eskista dance which is said to have inspired that African American dance, though I don't believe that is actually true. And the Harlem Shake internet videos provides an opportunity for me to share one of my favorite Langston Hughes poems, Notes On Commercial Theatre" which since I first read it, I've always referred to by its first line "You've taken my Blues and gone".
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-origins-several-examples-of-harlem.html "The Harlem Shake (Origins, Old School Examples, & Internet Meme)"
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Langston Hughes for his cultural legacy. My thanks also to the author of the articles that are quoted in this post, to the transcriber of this poem, and to the uploader of this featured sound file.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post presents a sound file of & words to Langston Hughes poem "Notes On Commercial Theatre". This post also includes an excerpt of a Wikipedia analysis of that poem, and my analysis of that poem which includes comments about the 2013 internet video craze "The Harlem Shake".
The content of this post is presented for historical, sociological, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
FEATURED SOUND FILE: LANGSTON HUGHES POETRY RECITAL c.1945 Part 4 of 4
cdbpdx,Uploaded on Jul 19, 2009
In 1945, ASCH records recorded a 78 rpm 4 record album set with Langston Hughes reciting his own poems. This is part 4 of 4 parts from that album, each part being both sides of one of the records in the album.
This record contains:
LITTLE SONGS
SILENCE
BURDEN
THE BREATH OF A ROSE
PRAYER
BORDER LINE
IN TIME OF SILVER RAIN
STILL HERE
BALLAD OF THE LANDLORD
BIG BUDDY
NOTE ON COMMERCIAL THEATER (good!)
This is an historic compilation. Enjoy!
-snip-
"Note On Commercial Theatre" is the last recitation on this sound file and begins at 5:06.
****
WORDS TO NOTES ON COMMERCIAL THEATRE
(Langston Hughes)
You've taken my blues and gone--
You sing 'em on Broadway
And you sing 'em in Hollywood Bowl,
And you mixed 'em up with symphonies
And you fixed 'em
So they don't sound like me.
Yep, you done taken my blues and gone.
You also took my spirituals and gone.
You put me in MacBeth and Carmen Jones
And all kinds of Swing Mikados
And in everything but what's about me--
But someday somebody'll
Stand up and talk about me,
And write about me--
Black and beautiful--
And sing about me,
And put on plays about me!
I reckon it'll be
Me myself!
Yes, it'll be me.
From http://www.skidmore.edu/~mstokes/227/hughes-poems.html
ANALYSIS OF LANGSTON HUGHES' "NOTES ON COMMERCIAL THEATRE"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Note_on_Commercial_Theatre
"Langston Hughes was a prominent writer during the Harlem Renaissance, which is obvious in most of his poetry. Hughes writes about the issues of the day, and “Note on Commercial Theatre” is no different.
Roots vs. novelty
During the Harlem Renaissance, one of the main controversies was that African American culture became the “vogue” of the day. This included interest not only in black writing and art, but in the rising jazz and theatre scenes as well. Harlem became the hot spot for this new black culture; both black and whites explored and became immersed in it. Because it was so popular, many white people attempted to infuse their own art with the new African American styles, resulting in hybrid music and theatre (for example, a swing version of The Mikado, a comic opera).
Hughes was a huge proponent of creating a separate black identity and art, hence the extreme antipathy within “Note on Commercial Theatre” to black culture being absorbed by whites. This is reflected in his use of an experimental form for his poem; there is a lack of rhyme scheme and no discernible rhythm to the lines. Other black writers of the time, such as Countee Cullen, experimented within specific forms, but Hughes rejects form in this poem; he rejects the absorption into any other style but his own."...
****
EDITORIAL COMMENT, INCLUDING COMMENTS ABOUT THE HARLEM SHAKE MEME
I wonder if Langston Hughes's poem "Notes On Commercial Theatre" wasn't just concerned about "white attempts to infuse their own art with the new African American styles" or concerned about "black culture being absorbed by white". I wonder if Langston Hughes was also reflecting on how mainstream White society often failed to acknowlege Black people while loving Black cultural products.
Furthermore, I wonder if the impetus for Langston Hughes' "Note On Commercial Theatre" was also driven by the common practice then of White people reaping the economic benefit of Black creative products through the production & promotion of often watered down versions of that product - for instance, White singers recording "covers" of Blues songs composed by Black people.
It seems to me that in this so-called post-racial America more than 60 years after Langston Hughes wrote "Note On Commercial Theatre", there's still considerable reason for Black people to be concerned that we aren't given the credit for our artistic accomplishments. Not only is "White" still the default race, but also terms such as "traditional American" and "vernacular American" are used to categorize a number of Black art forms, including old time music/songs, and Swing dances.
To a considerable degree, that history & these present day realities may explain why some Black commentators & some non-Black commentators have expressed concerns about the recent Harlem Shake internet craze. Each of those numerous videos that have been uploaded to YouTube show groups of people, sometimes in diverse "Halloween" type costumes, wildly dancing in various ways to a song called "The Harlem Shake" that was released last year by a producer known as Baauer. Although each of these videos are entitled "The Harlem Shake", the dances performed by the people in those videos are have no resemblance to the Harlem Shake of the 1980s, and its popularized version in 2001. I think that the point of those new Harlem Shake videos is to show groups of people in specific settings letting down their hair, and being crazy for a change. And I find some of those videos funny. But I can also understand why Tamara Palmer, a commentator for The Root.com wrote that "a silly viral video craze [has] completely overshadowed the origins of a beloved old-school dance". I can also agree with Tamara Palmer's position that in those videos the Harlem Shake "has been all but stripped of its cultural context and meaning." http://www.theroot.com/views/harlem-shakedown?wpisrc=root_more_news.
And yet, in his poem "Notes On Commercial Theatre", Langston Hughes indicated that it was Black people's responsibility to share our stories. As such, the Harlem Shake internet video craze provides opportunities to talk about the history of White exploitation of Black people's cultural products, even though that may not be what is going on in those videos. The Harlem Shake internet video craze also provides opportunities to share information about Black dances -including the old Harlem Shake, and the Ethiopian Eskista dance which is said to have inspired that African American dance, though I don't believe that is actually true. And the Harlem Shake internet videos provides an opportunity for me to share one of my favorite Langston Hughes poems, Notes On Commercial Theatre" which since I first read it, I've always referred to by its first line "You've taken my Blues and gone".
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-origins-several-examples-of-harlem.html "The Harlem Shake (Origins, Old School Examples, & Internet Meme)"
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Langston Hughes for his cultural legacy. My thanks also to the author of the articles that are quoted in this post, to the transcriber of this poem, and to the uploader of this featured sound file.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Friday, February 15, 2013
The Harlem Shake (Origins, Old School Examples, & Internet Meme)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post provides examples of & information about the Ethiopian Eskista dance which is said to have inspired the 1981 dance called the "Harlem Shake" in the United States. This post also features two videos of the old Harlem Shake (early 2000s), and a video of the Chicken Noodle Soup dance (2006) that came from the old Harlem Shake.
In addition, this post includes two Harlem Shake instructional videos as well as information about & a video compilation of the Harlem Shake Internet meme (2013).
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE HARLEM SHAKE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_shake_(dance)
"The Harlem Shake is a dance that originally began in Harlem, New York. Since its beginnings it has spread to other urban areas and became popular in music videos. The announcers at the Entertainer's Basketball Classic at Rucker Park claim that the modern day Harlem Shake was started by a man by the name of "Al B" (nickname Sisqo or Cisco). Al B was an alcoholic who would perform the dance upon request. Because of its founder, the dance was originally called the "albee" in Rucker and Harlem, but then later became known as the Harlem Shake.[1]...
The Harlem Shake is based on an Ethiopian dance called the Eskista.[2] [3]
... Though starting in 1981, the Harlem Shake became mainstream in 2001 when G. Dep featured the dance in his music video “Let's Get It”.[2]
The Harlem Shake is commonly associated with a similar dance move called The Chicken Noodle Soup. The Chicken Noodle Soup evolved from the Harlem Shake and exploded into popularity in the summer of 2006 when DJ Webstar and Young B brought it to the mainstream.[2]
...The [Harlem Shake] dance has repopularized [4] as of February 2013, with many people including celebrities such T-Pain uploading videos on youtube.com of them doing the dance."
-snip-
I very much doubt that Al B, the alleged originator of the 1981 Harlem Shake, or many other 1980s and 1990s Harlem Shake dancers knew anything about the Ethiopian "Eskista" dance. It appears from several online sites that Al B attributed his inspiration for the dance that came to be called "The Harlem Shake" to the shaking movements made by alcoholics. Al B also is said to have indicated that his inspiration for the dance was how he imagined Egyptian mummies would shake if they danced. Note: A citation for this information is given in the Related Links section below.
As to the connection between the Harlem Shake of 1980s, the 1990s and the mid 2000s & the Ethiopian Eskista dance, I think that it's much more likely that someone who knew about the Eskista dance and saw the albee/Harlem Shake dance, recognized the similarities between those two dances. After all, even before the advent of YouTube, there probably were people in New York City who had read about or had seen films of Ethiopian culture, including the Eskista dances. And even in the 1980s when the first modern day* Harlem Shake is said to have originated, there certainly were people in New York City who had visited Ethiopia. Also, undoubtedly there were people from Ethiopia in New York City and in other American cities who were familiar with the Eskista dance & with the Harlem Shake (albee) dance. That said, the body popping movements of the Eskista dance and the Harlem Shake (albee) reflect both of those dances Black African sources. Furthermore, the statement that the Harlem Shake was inspired by the Ethiopian Eskista dance helps raise awareness of that traditional Affrican dance. For that reason, even though I think it's not entirely accurate, I'm okay with the statement that the Harlem Shake is based on the Eskista dance.
*I italized the words "modern day" to highlight those words because I wonder if there were African American dances and/or Caribbean dances that emphasized shoulder popping or shoulder twisting decades before the early 1980s or even decades before the popping and locking Hip-Hop dances of the 1960s & 1970s. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popping for information about "popping".
For instance, were the shoulder movements in the once very popular Jazz dance "truckin" which first emerged in Harlem around 1927 similar to the Harlem Shake shoulder movements?
From http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3truck.htm
"The main feature of Truckin' is the shoulders which rise and fall as the dancers move toward each other as the fore finger points up and wiggles back and forth like a windshield wiper".
I'd love for dance historians to add some input about this.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ESKISTA DANCE
From http://development.thinkaboutit.eu/think3/post/ethiopian_traditional_dance_eskesta/
Ethiopian traditional dance: Eskesta, by Martina Petkova, Published 29th July 2010
..."Ideology – the Ethiopian name “Eskesta” means actually “Dancing shoulders”; it is often practiced in the Northern parts of Ethiopia (Amhara group) where the indigenous tribes of Amhara, Wollo, Gondar etc. are still performing the dance of Eskesta. The motives and characteristics of the dance are often interchanged during the dance by the performers of the variety of war songs, hunting songs, Shepherd songs, love songs and work songs. The best dancer is appointed to the leader of the group and respectively the best singer...
It also is said that this dance was invented because of the snakes. Ethiopian people were often observing the “dance”/movements of the snake, shaking in the same way their neck. On the other hand, in the sphere of indigenous Ethiopian music the influence of the rattlesnake while shaking its tail (the sound it produces) has created a certain way of singing as well.
Furthermore, other symbols and rituals that can be described are these connected with the costumes which each dancer wears. They are often made of woven cotton called “gabbi” or “netella” and painted with different colors depending on the gender of the dancer.
Technique – dance performed both from men and women with their head, neck, chest and shoulders, shaking in specific ways; the music played during the dance is often produced with the traditional Ethiopian instruments like krar, flute, drums and mesenko. The dancers sometimes sing or in some places of the dance utilize the silence in order to stress out some prevailing moments of the dance. There are however some variations depending on the areas in which this dance is performed – Wollo, Gondar or Gojjam."...
-snip-
DISCLAIMER: With regard to the author's comment that the Eskista dance imitates the movement of snakes, I also read a comment in a YouTube viewer comment thread that the female Eskista dancers were supposed to be imitating the movement of birds. I'm not sure if either or both of these theories are accurate.
I'd love to add links to and quotes from Ethiopians about the history & meanings of the Eskista dance.
THREE VIDEOS OF THE ESKISTA DANCE
Example #1: Gonder Kinet Troupe - Gedame
cybrmstr, Uploaded on Dec 17, 2008
One of the best Iskista
****
Example #2:Song Ethiopian music eskista collection 4 track 10
Jimy Smith, Published on Nov 13, 2013
-snip-
Update: May 3, 2016 - This video replaces an earlier featured video that is no longer available.
****
Example #3: ethiopia-music
Kanal von donell21, Uploaded on Jan 25, 2011
****
THE OLD HARLEM SHAKE (United States early 2000s)
Example #1: G Dep-Let's Get It
Dezerin3, Uploaded on Mar 3, 2009
The Saga Continues....
-snip-
The spaces in the audio of this video are indications that this is a clean version of this Hip-Hop song. Please be aware that this YouTube video comment thread and other YouTube comment threads of videos featured on this page contain comments that include profanity, racist remarks, sexually explicit remarks and other content that isn't acceptable for children.
****
Example #2: How to do the Harlem Shake
Phronesis7, Uploaded on Jul 14, 2007
A bunch o kids from Harlem (I think) show people how to do the Harlem Shake....
-snip-
This video may actually be from the 1990s or earlier.
****
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS ON HOW TO DO THE (ORIGINAL) HARLEM SHAKE
Example #1: How to Do the Harlem Shake
dancing·627, Uploaded on Mar 25, 2010
The Harlem shake is a dance move that involves pivoting the shoulder out while bringing the other shoulder out at the same time. Discover how the Harlem shake is mainly comprised of shoulder shaking with help from professional hip-hop dancers and choreographers in this free video on doing the Harlem shake.
****
Example #2: How to Do the Harlem Shake
Mahalodotcom, Published on Sep 27, 2011
****
THE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP DANCE
Chicken Noodle Soup
WebstarVEVO, Uploaded on Nov 22, 2009
Music video by Webstar, Young B performing Chicken Noodle Soup. (C) 2006 Universal Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
****
THE HARLEM SHAKE - INTERNET MEME
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_shake_(meme)
"The Harlem Shake is an Internet phenomenon based on viral videos that began to gain popularity in early February 2013,[1] following the release of a video by the YouTube comedy vlogger Filthy Frank. The original video was published on January 30, 2013, which featured a compilation comedy, where he then made his later video the Harlem Shake containing the original extended gag. The meme originated in Queensland, Australia after five Australian teenagers known as 'The Sunny Coast Skate' created a Harlem Shake video, that went viral due to their large following on YouTube.
The videos feature the song Harlem Shake by electronic musician Baauer, and a dancing style not to be confused with the original Harlem Shake.[2] Normally, each video begins with one person (often masked) dancing to the song alone for 15 seconds, surrounded by other people unaware of the dancing individual. When the bass drops, the camera transitions to the entire crowd doing the dance for the next 15 seconds, often wearing a minimum of clothes or crazy outfits or costumes while wielding strange props.[3] The success of the video was attributed to its break out moment and short length [4] of which the first version of the widely accepted and adopted internet meme was created by five teenagers known as The Sunny Coast Skate from Queensland, Australia.[5][6] The phenomenon spread due to the number of people replicating and uploading similar videos.[6] In the first nine days, over 11,000 versions of the popular internet meme had been uploaded, garnering over 44 million unique views, and averaging over 4,000 new variations each day.[6]"
****
The Best of Harlem Shake
HTFDIGH,Published on Feb 17, 2013
****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.thefader.com/2013/02/15/fader-explains-harlem-shake/ for more information about the history of the 1981 albee and more details about the history of the 2013 Harlem Shake Internet meme (Alert: There's one early example of profanity in that article.)
Click http://www.vulture.com/2013/02/5-music-videos-featuring-the-actual-harlem-shake.html for examples of R&B/Hip-Hip videos of real Harlem Shake dancing (with the times given that that dancing occurs in those videos). However, some of those videos are NSFW (Not Safe For Watching At Work - and therefore, in my opinion, aren't suitable for children.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/west-african-roots-of-harlem-shake.html for the pancocojams post "West African Roots Of The Harlem Shake Shoulder Movements"
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composers of these songs, and thanks to all of the performers & dancers in these featured videos. My thanks also to the authors of the articles that are quoted in this post, and the uploaders of these featured videos.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
This post provides examples of & information about the Ethiopian Eskista dance which is said to have inspired the 1981 dance called the "Harlem Shake" in the United States. This post also features two videos of the old Harlem Shake (early 2000s), and a video of the Chicken Noodle Soup dance (2006) that came from the old Harlem Shake.
In addition, this post includes two Harlem Shake instructional videos as well as information about & a video compilation of the Harlem Shake Internet meme (2013).
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE HARLEM SHAKE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_shake_(dance)
"The Harlem Shake is a dance that originally began in Harlem, New York. Since its beginnings it has spread to other urban areas and became popular in music videos. The announcers at the Entertainer's Basketball Classic at Rucker Park claim that the modern day Harlem Shake was started by a man by the name of "Al B" (nickname Sisqo or Cisco). Al B was an alcoholic who would perform the dance upon request. Because of its founder, the dance was originally called the "albee" in Rucker and Harlem, but then later became known as the Harlem Shake.[1]...
The Harlem Shake is based on an Ethiopian dance called the Eskista.[2] [3]
... Though starting in 1981, the Harlem Shake became mainstream in 2001 when G. Dep featured the dance in his music video “Let's Get It”.[2]
The Harlem Shake is commonly associated with a similar dance move called The Chicken Noodle Soup. The Chicken Noodle Soup evolved from the Harlem Shake and exploded into popularity in the summer of 2006 when DJ Webstar and Young B brought it to the mainstream.[2]
...The [Harlem Shake] dance has repopularized [4] as of February 2013, with many people including celebrities such T-Pain uploading videos on youtube.com of them doing the dance."
-snip-
I very much doubt that Al B, the alleged originator of the 1981 Harlem Shake, or many other 1980s and 1990s Harlem Shake dancers knew anything about the Ethiopian "Eskista" dance. It appears from several online sites that Al B attributed his inspiration for the dance that came to be called "The Harlem Shake" to the shaking movements made by alcoholics. Al B also is said to have indicated that his inspiration for the dance was how he imagined Egyptian mummies would shake if they danced. Note: A citation for this information is given in the Related Links section below.
As to the connection between the Harlem Shake of 1980s, the 1990s and the mid 2000s & the Ethiopian Eskista dance, I think that it's much more likely that someone who knew about the Eskista dance and saw the albee/Harlem Shake dance, recognized the similarities between those two dances. After all, even before the advent of YouTube, there probably were people in New York City who had read about or had seen films of Ethiopian culture, including the Eskista dances. And even in the 1980s when the first modern day* Harlem Shake is said to have originated, there certainly were people in New York City who had visited Ethiopia. Also, undoubtedly there were people from Ethiopia in New York City and in other American cities who were familiar with the Eskista dance & with the Harlem Shake (albee) dance. That said, the body popping movements of the Eskista dance and the Harlem Shake (albee) reflect both of those dances Black African sources. Furthermore, the statement that the Harlem Shake was inspired by the Ethiopian Eskista dance helps raise awareness of that traditional Affrican dance. For that reason, even though I think it's not entirely accurate, I'm okay with the statement that the Harlem Shake is based on the Eskista dance.
*I italized the words "modern day" to highlight those words because I wonder if there were African American dances and/or Caribbean dances that emphasized shoulder popping or shoulder twisting decades before the early 1980s or even decades before the popping and locking Hip-Hop dances of the 1960s & 1970s. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popping for information about "popping".
For instance, were the shoulder movements in the once very popular Jazz dance "truckin" which first emerged in Harlem around 1927 similar to the Harlem Shake shoulder movements?
From http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3truck.htm
"The main feature of Truckin' is the shoulders which rise and fall as the dancers move toward each other as the fore finger points up and wiggles back and forth like a windshield wiper".
I'd love for dance historians to add some input about this.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ESKISTA DANCE
From http://development.thinkaboutit.eu/think3/post/ethiopian_traditional_dance_eskesta/
Ethiopian traditional dance: Eskesta, by Martina Petkova, Published 29th July 2010
..."Ideology – the Ethiopian name “Eskesta” means actually “Dancing shoulders”; it is often practiced in the Northern parts of Ethiopia (Amhara group) where the indigenous tribes of Amhara, Wollo, Gondar etc. are still performing the dance of Eskesta. The motives and characteristics of the dance are often interchanged during the dance by the performers of the variety of war songs, hunting songs, Shepherd songs, love songs and work songs. The best dancer is appointed to the leader of the group and respectively the best singer...
It also is said that this dance was invented because of the snakes. Ethiopian people were often observing the “dance”/movements of the snake, shaking in the same way their neck. On the other hand, in the sphere of indigenous Ethiopian music the influence of the rattlesnake while shaking its tail (the sound it produces) has created a certain way of singing as well.
Furthermore, other symbols and rituals that can be described are these connected with the costumes which each dancer wears. They are often made of woven cotton called “gabbi” or “netella” and painted with different colors depending on the gender of the dancer.
Technique – dance performed both from men and women with their head, neck, chest and shoulders, shaking in specific ways; the music played during the dance is often produced with the traditional Ethiopian instruments like krar, flute, drums and mesenko. The dancers sometimes sing or in some places of the dance utilize the silence in order to stress out some prevailing moments of the dance. There are however some variations depending on the areas in which this dance is performed – Wollo, Gondar or Gojjam."...
-snip-
DISCLAIMER: With regard to the author's comment that the Eskista dance imitates the movement of snakes, I also read a comment in a YouTube viewer comment thread that the female Eskista dancers were supposed to be imitating the movement of birds. I'm not sure if either or both of these theories are accurate.
I'd love to add links to and quotes from Ethiopians about the history & meanings of the Eskista dance.
THREE VIDEOS OF THE ESKISTA DANCE
Example #1: Gonder Kinet Troupe - Gedame
cybrmstr, Uploaded on Dec 17, 2008
One of the best Iskista
****
Example #2:Song Ethiopian music eskista collection 4 track 10
Jimy Smith, Published on Nov 13, 2013
-snip-
Update: May 3, 2016 - This video replaces an earlier featured video that is no longer available.
****
Example #3: ethiopia-music
Kanal von donell21, Uploaded on Jan 25, 2011
****
THE OLD HARLEM SHAKE (United States early 2000s)
Example #1: G Dep-Let's Get It
Dezerin3, Uploaded on Mar 3, 2009
The Saga Continues....
-snip-
The spaces in the audio of this video are indications that this is a clean version of this Hip-Hop song. Please be aware that this YouTube video comment thread and other YouTube comment threads of videos featured on this page contain comments that include profanity, racist remarks, sexually explicit remarks and other content that isn't acceptable for children.
****
Example #2: How to do the Harlem Shake
Phronesis7, Uploaded on Jul 14, 2007
A bunch o kids from Harlem (I think) show people how to do the Harlem Shake....
-snip-
This video may actually be from the 1990s or earlier.
****
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS ON HOW TO DO THE (ORIGINAL) HARLEM SHAKE
Example #1: How to Do the Harlem Shake
dancing·627, Uploaded on Mar 25, 2010
The Harlem shake is a dance move that involves pivoting the shoulder out while bringing the other shoulder out at the same time. Discover how the Harlem shake is mainly comprised of shoulder shaking with help from professional hip-hop dancers and choreographers in this free video on doing the Harlem shake.
****
Example #2: How to Do the Harlem Shake
Mahalodotcom, Published on Sep 27, 2011
****
THE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP DANCE
Chicken Noodle Soup
WebstarVEVO, Uploaded on Nov 22, 2009
Music video by Webstar, Young B performing Chicken Noodle Soup. (C) 2006 Universal Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
****
THE HARLEM SHAKE - INTERNET MEME
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_shake_(meme)
"The Harlem Shake is an Internet phenomenon based on viral videos that began to gain popularity in early February 2013,[1] following the release of a video by the YouTube comedy vlogger Filthy Frank. The original video was published on January 30, 2013, which featured a compilation comedy, where he then made his later video the Harlem Shake containing the original extended gag. The meme originated in Queensland, Australia after five Australian teenagers known as 'The Sunny Coast Skate' created a Harlem Shake video, that went viral due to their large following on YouTube.
The videos feature the song Harlem Shake by electronic musician Baauer, and a dancing style not to be confused with the original Harlem Shake.[2] Normally, each video begins with one person (often masked) dancing to the song alone for 15 seconds, surrounded by other people unaware of the dancing individual. When the bass drops, the camera transitions to the entire crowd doing the dance for the next 15 seconds, often wearing a minimum of clothes or crazy outfits or costumes while wielding strange props.[3] The success of the video was attributed to its break out moment and short length [4] of which the first version of the widely accepted and adopted internet meme was created by five teenagers known as The Sunny Coast Skate from Queensland, Australia.[5][6] The phenomenon spread due to the number of people replicating and uploading similar videos.[6] In the first nine days, over 11,000 versions of the popular internet meme had been uploaded, garnering over 44 million unique views, and averaging over 4,000 new variations each day.[6]"
****
The Best of Harlem Shake
HTFDIGH,Published on Feb 17, 2013
****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.thefader.com/2013/02/15/fader-explains-harlem-shake/ for more information about the history of the 1981 albee and more details about the history of the 2013 Harlem Shake Internet meme (Alert: There's one early example of profanity in that article.)
Click http://www.vulture.com/2013/02/5-music-videos-featuring-the-actual-harlem-shake.html for examples of R&B/Hip-Hip videos of real Harlem Shake dancing (with the times given that that dancing occurs in those videos). However, some of those videos are NSFW (Not Safe For Watching At Work - and therefore, in my opinion, aren't suitable for children.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/west-african-roots-of-harlem-shake.html for the pancocojams post "West African Roots Of The Harlem Shake Shoulder Movements"
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composers of these songs, and thanks to all of the performers & dancers in these featured videos. My thanks also to the authors of the articles that are quoted in this post, and the uploaders of these featured videos.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
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